It all happened very quickly. Launched last year by Thomas Bach as an idea to explore, the eSports Olympics project is already a reality. The IOC session in Mumbai, in October 2023, gave it a more formal existence. A host country, Saudi Arabia, was found for the first three editions.
The eSports Olympics will be held at the end of next year – November or December – in the new heavyweight of the international sports movement. They are highly anticipated, even if their outlines remain vague.
Very quickly, then. Too quickly? Many believe so. With just over a year to go before the event, are the international federations and national committees ready? FrancsJeux asked an expert, Sylvie Le Maux, vice-president of the French Olympic Committee (CNOSF) in charge of eSport.
FrancsJeux : One year before the first eSport Olympic Games, is the world of electronic sports structured and organized today?
Sylvie Le Maux: eSports has evolved a lot in recent months. New ideas are emerging, particularly from professional club managers, who are proving to be just as responsive as game publishers. But this ecosystem is not structured in France, and this is becoming an obstacle to understanding and promoting it. The former minister of Sports, Amélie Oudéa-Castéra, has looked into the subject. She asked her General Inspectorate to propose an organizational and management model. A report has been published, which is very interesting. It suggests the creation of an economic sector for eSports. Why not. We must now hope that it will be studied by the new minister, Gil Avérous.
Who is in control of e-sports today?
Nobody and everyone at the same time. Unfortunately, there is no "one-stop shop" that would allow all stakeholders - players, sports associations, media, communities, sponsors, etc. - to know who to turn to for official and precise information.
Should e-sports be inspired by so-called traditional sports, by adopting traditional governance and organisation, with national and international federations?
We must be very careful. And, in my opinion, not to copy and paste the federal model. It is not perfect, and above all incomprehensible to e-sports players and professional club managers. Let's take what is good in the federal model and adapt it to the needs and expectations of clubs and players. It is important to build around them, without imposing a model on them that would be neither accepted nor applicable. I maintain regular contact with four of the biggest French clubs: they are very attentive and willing to debate and move forward.
The organization of the first Olympic Games of eSports, at the end of 2025 in Saudi Arabia, will raise the question of the selection of teams and players. How can it be resolved in the current organization?
These first eSports Olympics will offer a program composed of different universes. For virtual games, piloted by international federations, it will be up to them to select one of their major championships as a selection event. For sports simulation and gaming games, the IOC will have to reach an agreement with publishers to schedule a qualifying phase or not. But let's not put a noose around our necks. It is of course essential to ensure that each selection is deserved for this highly anticipated Olympic event, but it will certainly be possible to rely on the world ranking and/or the opinion of club coaches. I am convinced that they all want to qualify the best team in France.
Is the CNOSF ready for these first Olympic Games of electronic sports?
It will be ready. We are already thinking about the organization around the French team. Will it be necessary to plan preparatory courses, a Club France, etc.? I suggested to David Lappartient very early on to form a working group. It is made up of several colleges representing all the families of eSport players: promoters, associations, managers, agencies, publishers, etc. We will meet for the first time in mid-November, to share our information, opinions and ideas.
David Lappartient chairs the IOC eSports Commission. What role does he play at the national level?
He is the president of the French National Olympic Committee. He has understood very well that it is essential to take a close interest in the world of eSports and the younger generation. It is also essential to supervise them. Through its dynamism and ideas, this world can push traditional sports federations to diversify their offerings, or even to reinvent themselves. I meet or talk with athletes from both worlds on a daily basis, sports and eSports. Both are very inspiring.
